Looking to set a new standard in power consumption for supervisory
circuits, the ICs are capable of operating at 220 nanoamperes (nA), which
is about one-fourth the power used by competing devices, according to the
company. The devices are designed for processors with supply
voltages of 1.8, 2.5, 3 and 3.5 volts.

"The TPS383x devices operate on very little power, enabling portable
equipment to get the absolute maximum life out of battery charges," said
Markus Perger, TI's system engineer and manager for supervisory circuits

Operating at less than 3 V, the TPS383x devices typically consume 220 nA
of supply current, with a maximum of 400 nA. With operation greater than 3
V, typical current is 250 nA, with a maximum of 450 nA, TI said.

TI's new family features integrated delay time to reduce system power
consumption and increase system reliability in wireless communication
systems, Internet audio players, notebook computers, intelligent
instruments and battery-operated equipment, the company said.

TI said the integrated delay time ensures stabilization of the supply
voltage and eliminates the need for external capacitors. The delay time is
selectable at either 10 or 200 ms, providing flexibility for system design. Trip-point accuracy, to within 2.5%, permits the system to drain the battery more completely, for extra life between charges. Unlike conventional devices with standby modes, the TPS383x
circuits are capable of monitoring the power rail during standby mode,
thus allowing it to wake up and reset the processor in case of power
failure, the company said.

Samples of the TPS383x family are now available with volume production
slated for the end of this month. Available in 5-pin SOT-23 packages,
pricing is 93 cents each in 1,000-unit quantities.